Plans to raze and rebuild a beloved play structure in Vacaville are progressing – starting with a design day next month that will include schoolchildren and the public.

Fifteen years of frequent use have taken their toll on Great Wonders Playground in Andrews Park, which is on track for an overhaul. The proposal is to replace the wooden structure with a weather-resistant composite material.

That process will start with a design day, which will take place on either Feb. 6 or 13. Representatives from Leathers and Associates, the Ithaca, New York-based consultant for the project, will be on hand to facilitate the process.

“What they will do is send a designer to interview schoolchildren and talk to them about what they want to see in their playground,” said Vacaville Park Planner Hugh Hesterman.

Hesterman said typically, Leathers usually asks for time from local schools on design day. However, he added, “In our case, we have the TGIF (after-school) program, so it would probably be easier for them to meet with those kids.”

After speaking with the children, the Leathers representatives take a few hours to prepare some concept sketches. These are shared with the public during a “celebration” in the evening.

Hesterman said Leathers has been a part of the Great Wonders project since its inception in the 1990s. The community came together to construct the playground twice – the first time it was built and again after it was destroyed by fire.

The city has set aside $150,000 in capital improvement funds for the latest rebuild project, while the Sunrise Rotary contributed proceeds from two events in the fall.

“Approximately, so far, we”ve raised about $25,000,” said Sunrise Rotary President Lisa Davis. She added that her club plans to play a “big part” as the process unfolds.

“We”re going to help in coordination, in the whole planning process, the actual on-site building day,” she said. “Pretty much as involved as we can get.”

Further details about the design day next month are not yet available. The rebuild, according to city officials, should be completed in the spring or fall of this year.